Divorce is a difficult chapter in anyone's life, and especially so for Ruth Clein, who lost her Lab mix Gracie in the process. Splitting up possessions with her husband was easy, but because Clein had initiated the divorce, she felt it only fair to give her ex full custody of their pets. But oh, how she missed that dog.

When our youngest child flew the coop, I decided it was time for me to spread my own wings as well. Adjusting to living alone was surprisingly easy. I liked the quiet and the ability to come and go as I pleased, but I missed Gracie greeting me when I came home. She would cuddle on the couch with me, her head resting on my chest. When I'd ask her to "smile," she would curl her lips up over her teeth in a beautiful, comical grin.

I had to get another dog. My apartment building didn't allow pets, but I remedied that by moving to a cute little duplex with a yard. The landlord said I could have a small dog, and I was ecstatic.

When a friend showed me a newspaper ad for Chihuahua puppies, I immediately called the owner and made an appointment. Entering her home, I was swarmed by 12 tiny, 8-week-old puppies, but one stood out from the rest. I got down on my knees and reached for him as he scrambled toward me. I had told myself I was only going to look and wouldn't make any hasty decisions, but when I picked up the little guy and he began to lick my face, my heart melted.

I paid the woman and then, as an afterthought, asked the date of my new dog's birthday. I almost dropped the pup when she told me it was Dec. 27 - the same as my former husband's. I didn't know if that was a bad omen, but it was too late. I was already in love.

I called my new dog Zipper because of his amusing tendency to zip around in tight little circles. Now fully grown at 9 pounds, Zipper is as little as Gracie was large, but he's just as sweet and cuddly.

He was born with a form of dwarfism that results in his legs resembling Chippendale chairs; they're bowed with the paws turned outward, so he can't jump up on furniture or climb steps. This doesn't stop him, though. He simply scratches at my legs until I lift him up. He also has a heart murmur and tires quickly when we go for walks, so if it's going to be a long one, I carry him in a pack, which he loves.

Does this dog have me wrapped? Oh, yes.

I still missed Gracie, though, and visited her often with Zipper in tow. It made me smile to watch my two beloved dogs, one so small, the other so large, playing and romping around the yard. But eventually Gracie grew old, and one day my ex called to tell me her time had come.

It was hard to accept that I would never again see her sweet smile or feel her head rest upon my chest. I learned something, though: One dog can never replace another. But my Zipper is here for me to love. One day he'll leave me, too, and when that dreaded day comes, I'll do what all dog lovers do: mourn my loss, cherish our good times and find another dog to love.